This invention relates to labels having removable sections, such as labels used for pharmaceutical drugs with removable reorder sections.
Many labels with removable sections have three layers, namely a base silicone liner, a pressure sensitive silicone carrier liner with an adhesive backing for attachment to the base liner, and a pressure sensitive label having an adhesive back for attachment to the carrier liner. The three-part label material is commonly referred to as piggyback label material because it contains a middle layer of material that has adhesive on the bottom and a silicon release coating on the top. The carrier liner is identical in shape and size of the label and carries the label as it is applied to a surface. The piggyback labels are mass-produced, on a roll consisting of a base liner, a carrier liner and label. Typically, the carrier liner and label are removed from base liner together and applied to product packages with automated equipment. Piggyback labels are typically used when the entire label or a section of the label needs to be removed and reapplied to something else after the multi-layer, consisting of carrier liner and label, are applied to an original surface. In order for a portion of the label to be removed from the carrier liner it must include a cut or scored section that allows a section of the label to be removed from the carrier liner. In a health care application, a section of the label is typically cut during the manufacturing process so it can be used for reordering a pharmaceutical drug after the piggyback label is initially applied to a drug package for distribution. The section that is cut may be removed from the carrier liner with or without removing the remainder of the label from the carrier liner.
Three-part labels are functional but can be expensive to manufacture because of their three components. Two-part labels with removable sections also have been used, with the label attached directly to a base silicone liner. The removable sections are created by cutting both the paper label and the base liner such that a section of the liner under the removable strip remains attached to the label during the label application process while the label is removed from the base liner roll and attached to a package. This process can be performed with an automatic label application system or manually. Cutting a portion of the base liner beneath and outside of the section of the label that is desired to be removed from the package to which the label is originally applied allows the removable strip to be removed from the package easily because the liner section prevents the desired removable section of the label from adhering to the package.
There are manufacturing and equipment limitations with currently used two-part labels because of the removable section. For example, current two-part labels with removable sections cannot be removed from the liner roll and applied to a package with certain automated equipment because the cut section of the liner creates a gap or hole in the liner. The edges of the gap or hole have been know to cause the liner catch or hang-up on automatic application equipment, causing jams or breaks in the liner. Two-part labels have been used with label applying equipment which can apply labels with the removable sections extending in a longitudinal direction (parallel to the edges of the label roll) so that the “width” of the strip is only a small percentage of the total width of the liner to alleviate some equipment jams or liner breaks. However, problems remain with two-part labels with removable sections that contain a wider percentage of the total width of the liner and extend in a direction perpendicular to the roll edges of the liner when attempting to auto apply the labels with some auto application equipment.